Electrically-operated signal for railroads.



H.J.J0NES. BLBGTRIGALLY OPERATED SIGNAL POR RAILRoADs.-y

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1907.

@Wenko-a HELENA J. JONES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED SIGNAL FOR BAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed May 131907. Serial-No. 373,375-

To all whom it, may concern:

Beit known that I, HELENA J. JoNss, a citizen ol' the vUnited States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful lm- .provements in Electrically-Operated Signals forRailroads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrically-operated signalsfor railroads. v

One object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement ofblock signals for railroads which will be automatically operated by themovement of the trains when entering and leaving a block and theoperation of which will be effected automatically without in any waydepending upon the usual signal of operators or the engineer. I

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of deviceswhich may be operated automatically in connection with the signals so asto effect the operation of the air brakes on a train that enters a blockwhen the signal is in the danger position and during the presence ofanother train in the same block.

The invention may also be as readily applied to guard a train vwhenapproaching a misplaced switch, crossing or a draw-bridge.

The improved invention is designed to cause-the setting of a dangersignal at the entering end of a block as the train passes in, and tomaintain' such danger signal until it leaves the other end ofthe sameblock.

The, invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination andarrangement of the devices-and the electric circuits connected therewithas will hereinafter be described and particularly pointedout in theclaims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in which,-

Figure l shows a diagrammatic view of the device as applied to arailwaytrack. Fig. 2 shows a detail side elevation ofthe signalmechanism, and Fig. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the connectionson the locomotive or other vehicle.

In illustrating the invention I have shown such mechanism and electriccircuits connecting'the same to operate the signal atthe entrance end ofthe block and to also guard the other end of the same block in case alocomotive should attempt to eutersaid latter end during the presence ofa train in the bl0ck. In case of a double track road where trains-travelin one direction only on a track, the form of device and connections asshown will be sufficient, but in case of a single track .road thedevices and connections will merely be duplicated,-portions of one railbeing used for operating the signal at one end of the block for trainsgoing in one dithe rail 1, may be continuous and secured to thecrossties in the usual manner, while the rail, 2, is to be provided ineach block with a plurality of insulated sections. I

In the present instance the drawing illustrates portions of two blockslwhich are designated by numerals 3 and 4.

Adjacent the entrance to block, 4, therail. 2.15 provided with shortrail sections, 6, ,7 and 8, which sections are insulated from eachotherand the sections 6 and 8 of 'which are both insulated from the rail2. At the opposite or outlet end of the said block, 4. the rail, 2, isfurther provided with short rail sections, 9 and l0. Thus it will beseen that each block is provided with insulated rail sections at bothends and the signal devices are arranged so that there is no connectionwhatever between the signal of a givenblock and the signals of theblocks at either side of said given block as will presently be clearlyshown.

All of the short rail sections are of such length that the locomotive,motor'or car will lap over from one section onto another or nextadjoining section for the purpose oi completing a circuit as willpresently be described.

A battery, 12, is suitably located with respect to the two ends of thesame block and this battery is to supply sutlicient current to energizesuitable electro-magnets y to operate the signals..

It is to be understood'that the signal mechanism may -vary inconstruction, and any suitable construction that will permit of beingoperated by magnets, may be employed, but in the present instance, thisdevice comprises a suitable metal base, 13, in which. the lower end.

of a vertical shaft, 14, is mounted so as to revolve therein. The upperend of this shaft is provided with the signal arms or blades, one or"which, l5, will be white and the other, 16, red. For night signaling alamp, 17,

and a segment gear, 20, is pivotally mounted so as to meshwith andoperate the shaft-gear so as to impart a partial rotation to said shaftas will presently be described. .This segment gearis provided with alaterally-projecting arm, 2l.

Above the gear, 19, the shaft carries an arm, 22, and theouter end ofthis arm when the shaft is rotated so that the red signal arm, 16, isdisplayed to indicate danger or a closed block, will contact with ayielding contact plate, 23, on a stationary conductor plate, 24. Whenhowever the white signal, l5,` is displayed the arm, 2l, will be out ofelectrical engagement with the contact plate, 23.

Within `the well or receptacle, 18, are two electromagnets, 25 and26,-one at cach slde'of the arm, 2l, of

the segment gear, and the purpose ol' each magnet is to 'attract thearm, 2l. as either magnet becomes energized, so as to inoye the saidarin in the direction ol' thtI energized, niagnet and thus cause thesignal shaft to bd partly rotated.

At the entrance to the block, 4. lprovidc a short contact plaie'. 2T,and this plate is to be connected eicctrically to the contact plate, 24,in the well. i8. so as to effect an operation of a suitable valve on thelocomotive to operate the air brakes as will be hereinafter explained,

At the outlet end of the saine block. 4, l provide a Contact plate, 4S,which latter plate has position atljacent to an insulated rail section,ll.

Snpposing the block. 4. to be clear; a train upon entering will iirstpass over the rail section, tj, without establishing a circuit, becausethe signal niecininisin at. such time is in thc safety position. butwhen the locomotive laps over sections T and S. a circuit will beestablished as i`t,llo\\^s.i`ron1 section. 7. through wire. lill. to thewire, 25'. oi the battery, then from rail section. S. through wire, 3l.to thtI danger magnet. 2li. and from the latter through wire, 32, to thebattery wire, 2li. it will thus be understood that when the locomotivelaps over the rail sections, 7 and it closes tite circuit just describedand energizes the magnet. 2li. which latter will draw the arm. 2l, andthus rotate the vertical shaft to thc position shown in Pig. and whilein this position the red or danger arm. lo', oi ih e signal will bedisplayed. 'lhis position of the signal will be maintained so long asthe train remains in the block. 4, and it will be noted that when inthis position the arm, 22, will be in contact with the spring plate, 23.'1I' while in this position asecond train should enter the block, 4,another circuit will be established which will cause the v operation ofthe air brakes on the second train and thus cause said second train tobe stopped. This latter circuit would be as iollowsr-from wire, 2S, o1'the battery through wire, 30, to wire, 33, to rail section. ti, throughthe wheels ofthe locomotive to a magnet. 54,l in the cal) through wire,35, to a contact roller or brush. 3G, de-

pending roni the locomotive, then back through plate, 27, wire, 37, toplate, 24, then through spring plate. 23, arm, 22, shaft, 14, base, 13,and by wires. 38 and 32, to battery wire, 29. By energizing the magnet,34, on the locomotive a trip catch, 39, will be operated to permit thevalve arm, 40, to drop and'by the. sluiting of the valve cause a ventingoi the train pipe and thus operate the air brakes in the well knownmanner. '1f on the other hand, only-the one train has passed into theblock, 4, the signal devices and circuits will remain as first describeduntil the train is about to leave the other end o f the block, at whichtime the wheels of the locomotive will establish a circuit through therail sections, 9 and l0, and a circuit will be established that willchange the signal at the ent-rance end oi the block tosaety andperinitanother train to enter,'-this latter circuit will be throughwire, 40, that runs i'roin section, 9, back to the wire, 32, and batterywire 29, and from rail section, l0,

l5. to the open block or safety position. Now let it be presumed that atrain has passed into the block, 4, andl the signal has been set todanger, as shown in Fig. 1, and while the train is still in the blockanother train enters the opposite end of the block. cuit would beestablished by the locomotive through the rail section, 1l and wire, 44,to the battery wire, 2S, and from the rail section, 11, through thewheels of the In such an event a cir-` locomotive to magnet, 34, on thelocomotive which would become energized and operate the brakes throughthe wire, 35, roller 3G, contact rplate 48, then through wire. 43, towire` 45. and to plates, 24, and 23, arm 22, shaft, i4, base. i3. wire,3S, to wire. 32, and back to batery wire. 29. By this latter circuit theair brakes on the train entering the exit c nd of the block. 4, would beapplied.

It will thus be seen that in my invention each blocky signal and itsconnections are separate and independent l'roin the signal devices inthe blocks at each side of it. and therefore the failure oi' a signal inone block would in-no way interfere with thc signal in the adjoiningblocks.

Having illus described my invention what I claim as .new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent isf,-

i. A railway block signal comprising.' a plurality of insulate-'l railsections at one end of the block, n signal operating' arin at the saine.end of the block; 'an electro-magnet fit .onesitie ol' tite said arm:.direct electrical connection -oetween ontl oi said rail sections andsaid magnet; a dl' rect electrical connection between said magnet undthe source ol electrical energy: a direct electrical connectiony betweenanother ruil section :it the sante end of the block 'ind the source ot'energy whereby a circuit toset the signal muy he'estabiishtal byconnection entirely at the operating 'enti of the block; a secondnnte-net at the sinne end of the block :ts-'said operating armconnections between said latici' magnet and the source ol' enera'y. undmeans at the distant end ot' the said block and in electrical connectionwith said latter muguet whereby to energize said latter magnet to changethe said signal arm.

L, A railway hloek signalv comprising a plurality ot' insulaied ruilsections at the entrance to a block a source of electrical energy; nlmagnet in electrical connection with one, oi' nid rail sections; aconnection between another ot" said rail sections and the source oi?energy; a signal device operated by said magnet to set the danger signaland to make nu electrical connection between the signal und source otenergy; a contact plate also at the entrance to the block; n connectionbetween said contact plate and ibo signal device during the period thatthe signal is in the danger position, and electrically operated devicescurl'lml by the motor vehicle. for operatingithe air brakes said devices beingr operated only by :i current that can pass through thesignal device while the latter' is set in the danger position. Y

Il. A railway block signal comprising n pali' of magnets nt the entranceend of a block; a signal device having,r an operating arm movablebetween said magnets; :1 source of electrical energy; insulated railsections; connections between said rail sections, magnets and source ofenergy for settingr the danger signai'as a train enters one end of theblock; a contact plate at the otherend of the block; connections betweensaid contact plate and the source of eneruy, and electricallyAoper-ateddevices on the Imotor ve-

